For both football and video game fans, it’s one of the most exciting times of the year. EA Sports has begun the release of player and team ratings for Madden 23.
The anticipation to see how the Eagles’ roster pans out is much higher than last year, thanks to multiple notable additions. With wide receivers and tight ends being the first groups dropped today, let’s see how Philadelphia fairs in pass-catching.
A.J. Brown Doesn’t Hit The 90 Mark In WR Rankings
A.J. Brown being the Eagles’ highest-rated offensive player isn’t a surprise. After all, the 25-year-old has multiple strong seasons under his belt and looks to take the role of WR1.
Unfortunately, while Brown gets a very nice mark, he falls quite short of the top tier of receivers with a grade of 87. That puts him as the 18th highest-rated WR in the game, below guys like Adam Theilen, D.J. Moore, and Deebo Samuel.
Here’s how the Eagles’ total receiving corp shapes up:
- A.J. Brown: 87 (Highest Eagles catching at 90, second-highest break tackle among all WR/TE at 88)
- DeVonta Smith: 83 (Highest Eagles agility at 91)
- Zach Pascal: 78
- Quez Watkins: 76 (Highest Eagles speed at 98, tied for second overall among all WR/TE)
- Jalen Reagor: 74 (Highest Eagles jumping at 94)
- Greg Ward: 71
- Deon Cain: 68
- John Hightower: 68
Honestly, it feels like Smith should have the bigger beef over not reaching 85 than Brown would about not hitting 90. Smith totaled 916 yards and five touchdowns last year while showing plenty of skill, from separation to sideline catches.
Meanwhile, Brown is coming off somewhat of a “down” season. Yes, 869 yards and five touchdowns in 13 games is solid, but compared to his 2020 season, it’s definitely lacking.
If Brown can reach the 1k mark while avoiding injuries, he should be able to hit 89-90 by the season’s end. It is worth noting that Brown and Smith both turned out to be lower than prior leaks suggested.
The rest of the group is right where they should be. Watkins has the potential to rise this season, while Pascal has reached his peak. Reagor has only seen his rating increase by one since Madden 21. I can’t imagine him breaking that trend anytime soon.
Dallas Goedert Grabs A Top-10 Rating
Unlike Brown, Dallas Goedert finds himself among the best at his position. With no more Zach Ertz to take the lion’s share of targets, the 27-year-old Goedert gets a rating of 85, good for eighth-best of all tight ends.
The BEST TEs in #Madden23 🏈
Agree with the rankings❓ pic.twitter.com/NDlU15ARgx
— ESPN (@espn) July 18, 2022
I would make the argument Goedert and Mike Gisecki should be switched, but I imagine a full season of Goedert as the Eagles TE1 should help to boost him up the rankings by this time next season. Ertz sits one spot below Goedert at 84.
Here’s how the entire Eagles’ TE group looks:
- Dallas Goedert: 85 (Highest run block finesse among all WR/TE at 73)
- J.J. Arcega Whiteside: 66 (Lowest Eagles awareness at 48)
- Richard Rodgers: 65 (Highest Eagles carrying at 78)
- Grant Calcaterra: 64
- Jack Stoll: 60
- Noah Togiai: 60
- Tyree Jackson: 56 (Highest throw power among all WR/TE at 93)
- Rick Lovato (lol): 31
TE undoubtedly carries some of the weakest depth on the team, and it shows here. In his first year at the position, JJAW gets a 66 and has the seventh-worst awareness rating among all WRs and TEs. Encouraging!
Still, thanks to his speed, he beats out Rodgers (aka Dick-Rod). Jackson at 56 is a bummer to see, especially because he was making waves in training camp last year. There’s still time for him to regain that hype after an ACL tear, though it’s certainly a lengthier climb.
Some players, like Calcaterra, do have interesting potential. If you’re a player that likes to build a franchise from the ground up, you should keep an eye on them.
Madden is set to release its other positional ratings this week: edge rushers on July 19, running backs on July 20, cornerbacks and defensive linemen on July 21, and quarterbacks, as well as overall team ratings, on July 22.
Madden 23 hits shelves on Aug. 19.
